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Trump promises Zelensky that he will “bring peace” and end the war in Ukraine

Trump promises Zelensky that he will “bring peace” and end the war in Ukraine

Several fundraisers for U.S. President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign are on hold, several Democratic sources involved in the events told Reuters on Friday, even as the Democratic Party planned to fast-track his nomination and he vowed to run in the 2024 election.

Biden had planned to raise money in Austin, Denver and California next week, but those plans have been put on hold, at least for now, the sources said. The president tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday but said Friday he would return to the campaign trail next week.

Biden’s campaign said its fundraising efforts would go ahead as planned. “Reuters’ sources are incorrect and we look forward to a solid fundraising schedule,” campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz said Friday.

A source familiar with the situation said former late-night comedian David Letterman will headline a fundraiser for Biden at the home of Hawaii Governor Josh Green in about 10 days, a sign that Biden is making progress.

A number of major donors are closing their checkbooks as questions arise about whether Biden should remain at the helm of the Democratic Party, the sources said, using their financial clout to pressure Biden to drop out of the Nov. 5 race, possibly in favor of Vice President Kamala Harris.

The campaign had hoped to raise about $50 million in major donations for the Biden Victory Fund in July, but had raised less than half that amount as of Friday, according to two sources familiar with the fundraising efforts.

“There are many donors who have said they will not put another cent into this campaign. The question is whether they will come back if Biden stays in the race,” said a major East Coast campaign financier.

Biden raised $28 million in a single night in June at a fundraiser in Hollywood hosted by actor George Clooney, who later urged Biden to end his campaign.

According to a source familiar with the plans, Harris will speak to major donors on Friday at the request of the president’s advisers.

A campaign official told Reuters on Friday that they had expected a drop in fundraising from major donors in June and July because many of these people were on vacation. “The narrative that big-dollar fundraising dried up is false,” the official said.

The official noted that ten fundraising events are planned for this month.

More than one in ten Democrats in Congress have now publicly called on the incumbent to step down after the disastrous debate in June against Republican Donald Trump raised doubts about Biden’s ability to win or hold office for another four years.

NOMINATION PROCESS CONTINUES

The official party process for Biden’s nomination is moving forward.

The Democratic National Convention Rules Committee met Friday to draft a virtual voting process to allow the 81-year-old to be officially nominated before the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on August 19. Officials argued that early nomination was necessary to make it easier to comply with state election laws, otherwise there was a risk of being left out of the November ballot.

“These are not risks we can or should take as a party,” Dana Remus, Biden’s former White House counsel, told the committee.

For a party already divided over Biden, with Democrats in Congress again calling for the president’s resignation on Friday, the early virtual vote is another point of contention.

Critics argue it is a means of pushing Biden through as the party’s official nominee early. Others, including DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison, say it is necessary to confront an Ohio law that would have kept Biden’s name off the state’s ballot if he had not been nominated by Aug. 7, before the party’s convention in Chicago.

A member of the Rules Committee asked if it was possible for another candidate to challenge Biden in a virtual vote. Leah Daughtry, the committee’s co-chair, said any challenger would need the “confirmed support of hundreds of delegates.”

“There has never been a challenge like this in the last half century of hard-fought primaries,” Daughtry said.

It was unclear how the nomination process would proceed if Biden were to abandon his re-election bid. The committee is scheduled to meet again next week to finalize the plan.

Biden has been in quarantine since testing positive for COVID this week and appears to be taking calls for his resignation seriously. Several Democratic politicians believe a resignation is only a matter of time, Reuters reported on Thursday.

“The writing is on the wall,” a Democratic donor said Friday.

Biden has insisted for weeks that he will stay in the race, despite calls from some of his party’s heavyweights to give up his post.

Trump, 78, accepted the Republican Party nomination in Milwaukee this week and spoke to a captivated audience on Thursday.

Some Democrats have begun campaigning against Biden. Pass the Torch, a group calling for Biden’s resignation, has launched a television ad to air in Washington and Rehoboth, Delaware, where Biden frequently vacations. It features Democratic voters from Pennsylvania urging Biden to “pass the torch.”